ISLAMABAD: A day after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured the offices of Senate chairman and deputy chairman in a contentious election, Minister for Information Shibli Faraz on Saturday said the government would introduce judicial and electoral legislation to “reform the system”, signalling changes to the voting system.
Addressing a press conference, the minister said the government was ready to sit with the opposition on matters relating to economic, electoral, and judicial reforms. But the opposition wanted relief in corruption cases pending before the courts which is unacceptable to us, he further said.
The prime minister wanted the criteria for becoming a member of the parliament to be competence, and not wealth, so that the public welfare-related legislation and reformation of the system could be done, he said.
Taking a cue from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s stance on the matter, Faraz said the government would not offer any NRO-like (National Reconciliation Ordinance) concession to the opposition leaders who are facing graft cases.
The minister further observed the PTI has become the single largest party both in the National Assembly and the Senate. In the last two-and-a-half years, the opposition parties obstructed the legislation in the upper house because they do not believe in the welfare of the public, he said.
“Until now, the PTI was a minority party in the Senate and lacked the numbers required to introduce the legislation needed to implement its electoral promises but now it would introduce laws in the public interest,” Faraz vowed.
He said the opposition alliance is conspiring to make the election controversial after their defeat, adding the elections were held in a free and fair manner and were not influenced.
To a question about the opposition raising the possibility of bringing a no-confidence motion against Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Faraz said that it was the opposition’s legal and democratic right and they could not be stopped from doing so. But the government would counter it when that time for it would come, he said.
Referring to the proposed long march to Islamabad of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the minister said the alliance may execute it, but would not get any support from the people.
“The opposition needs to see beyond their personal vested interests,” he said.
Faraz highlighted it is the first time in history that a candidate from the tribal districts, Mirza Muhammad Afridi, was elected as the deputy chairman of the Senate.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan integrated FATA [with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]. It was not an easy task,” he said, adding the premier had long sought to do something for neglected areas.
Observing that PTI lacked a majority in the Senate in the past, he said crucial legislation could not be introduced as there were obstacles.
“The country was mired in debt, institutions were paralysed,” Faraz said, adding that the same people have been ruling the country for 30 years.
He termed the government’s victory in the Senate election as the defeat of a system that he said has been “harming the country for the last 30 years as well as those who doubted our intentions”.
He lamented that people did not prosper and the assets of the ruling elite grew manifold.
He said since the country could not afford to regress, it was necessary to support the prime minister. Those who want progress for the country have won, he said.
Referring to the claims of “spy cameras” installed inside the polling booths, he said the opposition staged a “drama” and was the “mastermind behind this wicked conspiracy”.
The minister further observed the PTI has become the single largest party both in the National Assembly and the Senate. In the last two-and-a-half years, the opposition parties obstructed the legislation in the upper house because they do not believe in the welfare of the public pm said